GPs to be paid to seek consultant opinion before referring

New payments for GPs to incentivise a significant reduction in referrals are among a range of measures being announced by the prime minister in a “radical” new plan to slash the elective waiting list.

As well as a major expansion of “advice and guidance”, which involves GPs discussing cases with specialist consultants to try to avoid a referral, the government has claimed new “elective reform plan” will include ramping up activity in community diagnostic centres and “elective hubs”, and ensuring more patients are offered a choice of provider.

However, many of the details of how these changes will be achieved have yet to be revealed. Most of the planned improvements also involve initiatives which have been under way for some time, or have been previously announced. The full plan is not set to be released until Monday afternoon.

Trusts will be ordered to put “non-clinical frontline staff like receptionists on compulsory ‘customer service’ training [to ensure the NHS delivers] a new gold standard retail offer”, the Department for Health and Social Care said on Saturday.

There will also be extensive upgrades to the NHS app, including direct booking of diagnostics, to improve access, choice, and the options available while waiting.

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Source: HSJ, 5 January 2025